Al, a leash? They'd be lucky to get him ANYWHERE on a leash LOL

We have a lock on the gate that can't be cut and a camera that records all day long onto a DVD-RW, so if someone DID try to take him, we'd have them on 'film.' The bottom of the kennel is staked into the ground all the way around, so they'd have to work to get him out that way, too. I know everyone except a couple of people in the neighborhood, and they couldn't really take him without me finding out about it because where would they keep him that I wouldn't be able to see/hear him? He doesn't bark when a car pulls into the driveway or anything, and his kennel is situated so you have to look to see it and him in it. So if you don't know he's there, then you wouldn't unless you actually pulled into the driveway - and we have a camera there as well.

The reason for not leaving him in the house crated during the day is because of the amount of time he'd be in there; from around 7:50am until around 5:30pm, and that's if I drove straight home from work. He's only 4-5 months old, so expecting him to be able to hold it for that long is unrealistic. When he gets a little older that's what I planned on doing, but for now I think he's okay outside. He isn't tattooed, which is something I want to have done, but I don't know where/how, and I'm afraid to do it now because he's getting ready to start teething and I'm afraid it will mess up his ears and they won't stand back up. (I know, I'm probably just paranoid)